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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pass · fine · saw · squash · field · root · bowl · leaves

  1. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — a subject
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. fine — all right
  4. saw — the tool
  5. fine — high quality
  6. root — of a plant
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. squash — the sport
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. field — farmland
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. pass — a permit
  17. root — of a word
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. field — for sport
  22. root — the cause
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. leaves — of a tree

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com